Jackalope Tales – Popaganda

About this episode

This episode explores the intersection of bizarre pop music and potential government influence, examining bands like Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Trio.

What if some of the weirdest pop music ever recorded wasn’t just bad taste… but government policy? In this episode of Jackalope Tales, Charles and Lisa dig into the suspiciously bizarre world of Popaganda — the possibility that certain bands weren’t just musicians, but carefully engineered cultural experiments. Charles investigates the chrome-plated chaos of Sigue Sigue Sputnik, the cyberpunk band that sold ad space inside their songs and sounded like a malfunctioning arcade cabinet having a panic attack. Coincidence… or a prototype for weaponized consumerism? Meanwhile Lisa examines the minimalist German oddities behind Trio, the band responsible for the deceptively simple hit Da Da Da. Was it just a quirky new-wave song… or a hypnotic psychological test to see how little music the public would tolerate before complete mental collapse? Along the way Charles and Lisa explore whether pop music might sometimes be less about art… and more about agenda. Because nothing says “covert cultural influence” quite like drum machines, awkward haircuts, and a chorus that sounds like it was written by a malfunctioning fax machine. Jackalope Tales — where the conspiracy theories are…

People in this episode

Hosts: Charles Mooney, Lisa Umbarger

Topics covered

• pop music
• government policy
• cultural experiments
• consumerism
• psychological tests
• music history

Keywords

• Popaganda
• Sigue Sigue Sputnik
• Trio
• Da Da Da
• cultural influence
• consumerism
• music history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Trio, CIA

Books & works: Da Da Da

More episodes of Jackalope Tales on Radio Misfits

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• Jackalope Tales – Empty Seat Blues · June 3, 2026 · 53 min
• Jackalope Tales – Master Baiters · May 27, 2026 · 56 min
• Jackalope Tales – Put The Hell In Coachella · May 20, 2026 · 56 min
• Jackalope Tales – Fleeced By Geese · May 13, 2026 · 57 min
• Jackalope Tales – Let Them Eat Lemon Pound Cake · May 6, 2026 · 48 min